


Death

by Lady_Phenyx



Category: WALL-E (2008)
Genre: Gen, introspective, talk of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Phenyx/pseuds/Lady_Phenyx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of all the robots, Wall-E was the most alive. But life wasn't what Wall-E was most familiar with...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Death

Wall-E understood death.  
After all, he had seen it before.

The first had been the day the first of his companion Wall-E units had ceased to function. They had been crushing trash, as they did every day, and the other had gone slower and slower. Wall-E did not notice at first, as his eyes were fixed on something small and strange. He pulled it out of the trash surrounding them and turned to show the other Wall-E, who was slouched on the ground and not moving. Not understanding, Wall-E pushed at the other bot, trying to get him to move. Thinking the other was simply out of power, he opened his solar panels, and urged the other to do the same. When he did not, Wall-E pulled the other’s solar panels out for him. Wall-E kept trying until the sun began to set, other Wall-E units gathering around the pair in momentary curiosity in small groups before they headed back to the truck, unconcerned. Finally Wall-E had to leave the other where he lay, looking back over his shoulder sadly and in confusion at his brother unit as he headed into the truck for the night.

It was only the first of many.

The first rule of Wall-E units, beyond their compacting trash directive, was simple. A Wall-E unit was to do anything within their power to continue to function and to keep from putting themselves in situations that would cause them to cease functioning. As more and more Wall-E units ceased to function, the remaining ones were forced by that rule to take parts from their downed fellows to continue to function as their parts wore out past repair.

For most, it was simply a matter of surviving, of fulfilling their secondary directive, no emotion involved. Over time, the pain it caused Wall-E that he could not explain ceased to hurt him when he had to take a part from a fallen brother.

In time, Wall-E was the last one to function as his fellow units ceased functioning in ones and twos around him. It was lonely, but soon after he found Hal, who helped to fill the void in a robot that had been meant to work among dozens of others like him who found himself alone.

Despite his near indestructibility, Hal was still an insect.

The life span of an insect is noticeably shorter than that of a robot.

Wall-E understood that robots were not the only ones that lost power and ceased moving the morning he woke for work and Hal did not.

There were more Hals after that, and Wall-E was content with their companionship, while it lasted. Still, he played Hello Dolly loudly in the quiet streets as he went about his day, surrounded by the stillness of death and the wish for more, waiting for the day he ceased to function like his brother units, knowing nothing else.

Than one day, the ship came. Eve came.

As Wall-E watched Eve fly, watched the joyful dance over dust filled gullies and valleys, he felt something inside him change. This was what he had been waiting for all those years.

Wall-E understood death.  
Now, he wanted to learn about life.


End file.
